Scott - My passion became a pathway to recovery

Reconnecting with my lifelong passion for photography through the Photography Group at Flourish Australia was a turning point in my recovery. With the right support, I’m now taking it to the next level by starting a social media based photography business.

There’s a lot to be done, online and face-to-face, to get this going. Putting a business plan and financial plan in place took a tonne of effort. I’ve given myself 40 weeks to make it all work while I’m receiving a payment equal to jobseeker, along with on-going business coaching and other supports.

Having something meaningful to work toward has restored my hope and optimism. I stumbled on the Photography Group when I stopped in at Flourish Australia’s Wollongong service with their New Outlook people who used to get me out for daily walks. I jumped at the chance to get involved and had such a great time travelling with the group, meeting all sorts of interesting people and having a laugh with them.

Travelling to beautiful places all over the Illawarra with the group was my foray into equine (horse) photography which is now my career focus. After being on and off again with photography over the past 12 years I’m now serious about it. I’ve picked up all kinds of techniques for achieving a specific shot the client is after, as there are many different horse disciplines. Horse racing requires a lot of skill, capturing six or seven frames per second to get the exact shot I’m after.

Within just two months of day trips with the New Outlook Photography Group I had enough material to put an exhibition of my work together at a little place called Society City on Crown Street in Wollongong. It’s a second-hand bookshop and creative space which showcases three or four artists each month.

I’m proud to now see these photos on display at New Outlook where there are plans to dedicate an entire wall to the Photography Group’s best shots so everyone can see what we’re capable of.

New Outlook has been such a healing experience for me. The people who work there and who visit are so uplifting to be around I still drop in once a week to catch up and enjoy a nice lunch together.

My advice to anyone wanting to try their hand at photography is to just enjoy the process and avoid being too critical of your own work. I once watched a documentary about a guy renowned to be the greatest surf photographer on the planet who admitted there are no photos on his walls at home because he hasn’t felt he’s taken any good enough! It’s a photographer’s curse to look for imperfections in our work that others would never pick up on.

I suggest beginners start out by taking photos on your phone because photographic equipment can be very expensive. You can download Lightroom Adope app and I’m learning to use PhotoShop, but I prefer to practice my skills and not digitally alter my photos.

I’m loving where my passion for photography has brought me to in my life now. It’s wonderful to have strong family support and the encouragement of the Flourish Australia team who never put any pressure on me to now exactly what I wanted to get out of being there. There just came alongside me every step of the way as I worked out my own way forward on my recovery journey.